Authors Note: Just a little story that I've wanted to write for a while. It's set in what would be 'Season 5' of the series. The first part is not "M' worthy at all, but with the second part being a lot more detailed I wanted to cover all the bases. If you're interested in how I do romantic interactions, please check out my other stories 'Moonlight Passions' or "Pillow Talk"
Note: I don't own SRMTHFG. If I did, oh yea, you'd be seeing season 5.
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"Penny for your thoughts?"
"So, nice day we're having huh?"
"I'm turning into a five-headed sloth covered in purple and orange polka dots and a dozen eyes."
The yellow simian smiled, shaking her head as Jinmay continued to watch through the safety glass at the sight before her. A quick flash of white and orange focused her attention to the young boy of barely 13 as he pushed himself without pause, sending the robotic Formless dopplegangers into holographic oblivion at a rapid pace. Although she couldn't hear what being said, her mind's eye clearly remembered his attack calls as each Chiro Spearo or Lightening Kick lashed out against his current foe.
But as Nova glanced back up at the young robot girl beside her, she noticed that-rather than a proud smile- her face was cast in an unsettling frown. Her bright green eyes were narrowed in thought as she watch the boy she loved finish off most of the replicants, leaving only one standing.
Chiro grinned, sweat dripping off his brow. His tunic was similarly drenched clinging to him like a second skin. His body ached and cried for pause but the teen seemed oblivious to that need as he faced the last of the creatures. Casting his voice towards the ceiling he gave the command he always reserved for the last opponent. Within seconds the final holographic creature shifted and changed into the one being he hated...truely hated...more than any other in the universe.
Nova gasped as Skeleton King's form took center stage. Another glance back at Jinmay further confused her as the girl seemed unaffected by the change; in fact she seemed to expect it. Nova knew that Antauri had programmed the replicant to mimic the villain as much as possible, but even from this distance it was if the Dark One was actually in their training room.
The two foes eyed each other for a long moment before Skeleton King lashed out with a blast from his Havoc Staff. Leaping and dodging, Chiro easily bypassed the attack and with a roar from the depths of his very soul summoned the green spectral image of the Power Primate.
Chiro's attack was swift, brutal and final. Leaping up, the duel entity roared in fury as it's hands clasped together and with a savage hammer blow obliterated the evil copy. With another roar..this one of victory...the Power Primate dispersed, dropping Chiro onto the floor panting for breath. Slowly standing he gazed down at the only piece left of the Skeleton King illusion-his mask.
Jinmay and Nova both noticed the dark expression that crossed Chiro's eyes but could only watch as the youth brought his foot down upon the mask, shattering it with a rapidly forming grin that didn't look quite...sane.
With his fists still balled, Chiro watched the pieces of mask return to holographic bytes until they too dispersed back into the nothing from which they came. Without another pause he grabbed his towel and walked out of the room, unaware of his audience for the moment.
"We're losing him Nova; we're losing Chiro battle by battle. Ever since the Skeleton King's returned he's been fighting non-stop and...I think a little piece of his happiness is torn away every time. If we don't find a way to help him, the Chiro we care about is going to be lost forever."
"But what can we do Jinmay? We know he won't stop until Skeleton King is vanquished, and he won't take time off because he'll blame himself for being away if one of us get hurt!"
The young woman heard the frustration in Nova's voice and had to agree with her assessment. "You're right Nova; there's nothing WE can do about it...but maybe I can do something to take his mind off the war-if only for a little while...".
"Jinmay...? What are you planning...?" Nova warily asked, watching the look on her friend's face drift from concerned to apprehensive in a few seconds.
It was then the young girl knew she had to give voice to the thought that had rested in the back of her mind for the better part of a week. At first, it had started out as a small but powerful daydream; however, the more she considered it the more she truly wanted it to happen.
"Nova, can we talk...girl to girl?"
Blinking, the simian nodded. "Of course!"
"Well, this is what I want to do, but I need your help...".
Nova watched as Jinmay left the holo-control room still trying to process what the young woman had told her. They had talked for nearly two hours, and even now the simian wanted to run after the girl and beg her to reconsider. But as Jinmay had poignantly pointed out, it was her decision--not Nova's. She was going to go ahead and try and save Chiro with or without Nova's help.
"Either don't help her, and everything could go wrong with results I don't even want to THINK about, or I help and Chiro...Chiro and Jinmay..,.." she whispered to the empty air, sighing as she let that train of though fade away. Only after a few more minutes of mental debate did she decide on her course of action. Standing, Nova made her way out the door and to the briefing room
"Ah, Nova. Glad to see you're early..." began Antuari as he brought up a tactical schematic of the wastelands surrounding Suggazoom. "Our best estimate is that it will take Skeleton King at least 36 hours before he can create enough Formless to stage another attack. All of our allies will be arriving soon so we can plan a surgical strike which could help us destroy his Formless factories...".
"...and since Bone Brain can't summon more than a couple hundred Formless on his own without draining his power, we finally have a shot at taking Skeleton King down for good!" finished Sparx, slamming his right fist into left paw for emphasis.
Nova looked at her friend for the longest moment, her face fixed in thought. For a moment the two pairs of eyes met and Nova wondered if it were Sparx instead of Chiro, would she have the courage to do the same as Jinmay?
"Nova, are you unwell?" quietly asked Gibson as he walked over. "If you want I could run a full systems check...".
"No, not necessary Gibson!" counter Nova as she flashed her best fake smile. "I just came to tell you that Jinmay and Chiro probably won't be able to make the briefing."
"Oh, really?" prompted Antuari, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Jinmay's running a diagnostic on a glitch in her systems before she hit the recharger, and I saw Chiro coming out of Holoshed looking pretty wiped. I wouldn't count on those two being out and about for...oh..at least twelve hours." she fibbed, doing what Jinmay asked so her plan could be left to proceed unmolested.
(Unlike what's going to happen to Chiro...) darkly thought the yellow monkey before she could stop herself.
"Did Jinmay say what the glitch was Nova?" asked Otto innocently. "Maybe Gibson can run some comparsion-scan-thingies to see what the problem is..."
"Uhm...well. she did Otto, but..let's just say it's a girl glitch and leave it at that okay?"
At once, all four guys looked at each other, wondering for a moment on what could be the problem, then they too another moment to realize they really DIDN'T want to know.
"That's alright"
"We shouldn't bug her"
"Sometimes the best healer is one's own self"
"I don't even wanna know..."
Despite her outward fake smile, Nova inwardly had to give Jinmay her props for thinking her plan out. The guys, although willing to help, wouldn't dream of interfering with her 'girl problem' which gave her the free time she needed.
"But shouldn't Chiro be here for the briefing? I mean, he /is/ our leader!"
Before Nova could say anything, Sparx's voice cut into her thoughts. "Otto, if the Kid is as wiped as Nova thinks, him missing sleep could really come back to bite us in the butt during a knockdown with Bone Breath. I say let the Kid sleep; if he trusts us to back him in a fight, I'm sure he'll follow any battle plan we draft as long as Antuari puts his O.K. on it too."
"Wisdom and foresight Sparx; I'm impressed" said Antuari, the light humor in his voice a rare but welcome treat.
The simian shrugged. "Hey, what can I say; brain and brawn all in one package! No wonder the chicks dig me!"
Gibson, Otto and Antuari winced as Nova's tail SLAPPED across Sparx's face, sending the crimson hued monkey onto his rear. "Ow! What was that for?!"
"Boys..." mutter Nova as she walked over to the conference table and awaited everyone else to arrive, only bothering to look at Sparx with a cold glare the rest of the meeting.
(Okay Jinmay, I've done what you asked and got you the time you needed. Please be safe, and bring our Chiro back to us...).
Jinmay stood before the computer screen in her room, carefully looking at the readouts. All her systems were running normally and her energy storage system was fully charged. As a precaution, she even maxed out her emergency back-up systems. But as she reached to turn off the monitor, the young girl noticed her hand was trembling.
"You HAVE to be sure about this Jinmay.." she said to her reflection in the now-blank screen. "Are you doing this for yourself, or for Chiro?"
Closing her eyes, the young woman tried to find an emotional calm in the center of her discomfort. As the minutes passed her breathing slowed, fists unclenched and the uncertainty in her heart faded. At long last her eyes opened and with a deep breath she steeled her nerves. "I love him, and tonight I'm going to show him just how much. I'm not going to lose you Chiro, not piece by piece to that bastard Skeleton King!"
Raising her right hand to her shoulder, Jinmay reversed her transformation and banished her Hyperforce uniform to the holding dimension it normally rested in. As the glow faded, she stood in her normal outfit once more. With a determined look that few could counter, the young robot girl left her quarters and strode towards Chiro's, each step bringing her closer to both the loss of her greatest treasure and victory in the battle to save Chiro's very soul.
To be Concluded